Living with anxiety — whether you’re suffering from short-term stress or a long-term disorder — can be challenging, but there are ways you can help yourself.
The article from Business Insider, titled “17 ways to calm anxiety and ease your mind,” offers a comprehensive guide on managing anxiety through various self-help methods. Authored by Kelly Burch, David Merrill, and Zoe McDonald, it emphasizes the importance of lifestyle changes and self-care techniques in alleviating anxiety symptoms. Here’s a summary of the key points:
- Regular Exercise: Engaging in physical activities like walking can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.
- Consistent Sleep Schedule: Adequate sleep is crucial in managing anxiety, with a routine helping to improve sleep quality.
- Mindfulness and Relaxation: Practices like meditation can be more effective than cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing anxiety-related distress.
- Biofeedback: Monitoring and regulating physical responses to anxiety, such as heart rate, can be beneficial.
- Healthy Diet and Substance Avoidance: A diet rich in whole foods and low in fat, sugar, and carbs, along with avoiding alcohol and caffeine, can improve mood and reduce anxiety.
- Supplements: Magnesium supplements have shown promise in reducing anxiety.
- Deep Breathing: Slow, controlled breathing activates the body’s relaxation response.
- Yoga: Combining exercise and breathwork, yoga is effective in reducing anxiety.
- Spending Time Outdoors: Nature can have a calming effect on the mind.
- Journaling: Writing down thoughts and feelings can help in understanding and managing anxiety.
- Laughter: Humor can interrupt the cycle of anxiety and improve psychological well-being.
- Aromatherapy: Certain essential oils, like lavender and peppermint, may provide temporary anxiety relief.
- Positive Affirmations: Repeating calming mantras can help in managing anxiety.
- Social Media Break: Reducing social media usage can improve overall well-being and reduce anxiety.
- Spending Time with Loved Ones: Nurturing relationships can have a positive impact on mental health.
- Tea Drinking: Certain teas, like lavender, green, and chamomile, can induce relaxation.
- Professional Help: If anxiety interferes significantly with daily life, seeking professional treatment is advised.
The article underscores that while everyone experiences anxiety, it’s important to distinguish between normal anxious feelings and an anxiety disorder.
Implementing these self-care strategies can be a proactive way to manage anxiety, but professional help should be sought if anxiety becomes overwhelming or debilitating.
